EMERGING ARTISTS

Emerging Artists 2018

The Emerging Artists program is an opportunity for young chamber musicians seeking to enhance and broaden their experience towards a professional music career.

An opportunity to immerse in great chamber music in preparation for a festival chamber music concert. Daily rehearsals and coaching/mentoring from PCMF artist-faculty, attend and participate in PCMF concert and masterclass events, and perform in the Emerging Artists and grande finale concerts.

Michael Coston

ViolinistUniversity of North Carolina - Charlotte

Michael Coston was born and raised in Boone, North Carolina. He started playing violin at a young age as a way to express himself and his love for it has only grown. He’s currently attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte majoring in Music Performance with a concentration in Violin. After getting his undergraduate degree, he would like to attend graduate school to get a Masters’ in music. Michael hopes to join a symphony after finishing his education or teach private lessons. In his spare time, he likes to volunteer at his high school with his former orchestra director, read, and play soccer.

Georfrey Cua

ViolinistSyracuse University

Lily Eckman

CellistWest Chester University (PA)

Faith Foster

Faith is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and began her music studies on piano at an early age with Dr. Thomas Strode. Before long, her interests expanded to include viola, violin and harp. She has performed with several orchestras in both the Detroit area and North Carolina and was a member of Vivace Quartet, a professional string quartet based in Detroit. As a chamber musician, she has performed with innovative ensembles around the world, presenting at international conferences such as ISME 2016 in Glasgow, Scotland and the Engaging with Communities conference in Auckland, New Zealand.

Faith moved from Michigan to North Carolina in 2011 to study at UNC Charlotte under internationally acclaimed violinist, Mr. David Russell and director of orchestras, Dr. Jonathan Govias, holding the position of assistant conductor for her final year there. She has recently completed her Masters of Music in Orchestral Conducting at the University of South Carolina, studying with Dr. Donald Portnoy, conducting the USC Campus Orchestra in concert every semester. She currently serves as Principle Conductor for the Columbia Community Orchestra and the Repertory Orchestra of the South Carolina Philharmonic Youth Program.

Rafailia Kapsokavadi

ViolinistAppalachian State University (NC)

Rafailia Kapsokavadi, violin, is from Greece and began studying violin at the age of six. She received the Greek National Diploma-Certificate for violin performance in Thessaloniki, Greece. In August 2016, she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina and has been attending the Hayes School of Music for a degree in violin performance at Appalachian State University studying under Professor Nancy Bargerstock. In 2016 she was awarded the Hayes Young Artist, which is a four-year scholarship. Rafailia has appeared as a recitalist, and was appointed assistant concertmaster as a sophomore with the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra. She also participates in Baroque Ensembles in the Hayes School of Music and has acted as first violinist of her string quartet for the past two years. Her public appearances include performances with the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki in Greece, as well as the Aristotle Symphony Orchestra.

In the summer of 2017, she attended the violin festival Mountaintop Mastercourse in New York and studied with David Russell. She also participated in masterclasses with Janet Sung, Steven and Larissa Elisha, and attended a series of masterclasses with Rachel Burton Pine. Since October 2017, Rafailia has been performing in the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra in Tennessee as a first violinist. She has been an active member of the American String Teachers Association since 2017.